Textile fiber spraying oils



Patented May 2a, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,002,885 TEXTILE FIBER SPRAYING QILS No Drawing. Application September 9, 1932,

Serial N0. 632,390

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of textile fiber spraying oils and has particular reference to a compounded oil especially adapted to be applied to cotton fibers prior to or during.

the manipulations to which the fibers are subjected in processing; the-invention also relates to the method of treating cotton fibers with a compounded oil such as herein described.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro- 10 duce a textile spraying oil which may be applied to cotton or other textile fibers prior to or during processing and by which the fibers are uniformly and homogeneously wetted. This confers distinct qualities of lubricity to the fibers.

It is another object of the invention to produce a spraying oil which will lubricate the textile fibers and increase their strength, thereby resulting in a reduction of. the breakage and making possible the manufacture of a stronger yarn. The oil is not readily subject to oxidation and even if left in contact with the fibers, it will not subsequently affect them deleteriously.

It is a further object of the invention to producea spraying oil which may be readily and completely removed from the fibers after they have been processed into fabrics.. The importance of this characteristic of the oil is recognized by those skilled in the art since bleaching and dyeing operations can only be carried out if the fabrics are absolutely free from oil or oily compounds.

There are certain advantages which result from the wetting of fibers with lubricating compounds. It renders the textile fibers soft and strengthens and conditions them for the subsequent carding, twisting and spinning operations. At the same time, it reduces the fly and waste of the short fibers and in this way makes possible more hygienic conditions in the mills. By increasing the lubricity of the yarns it materially decreases the friction between the fibers and the machine parts with which they come .into contact. It is also believed by some that an oil wetted fiber does not become charged with static electricity during the drawing and spinning operations since it has been observed that charged dry fibers will repel one another and thereby reduce the parallelism that is necessary for strength of the yarn and the final fabric.

Up to the time of our invention, it apparently was not recognized that in order to accomplish the most efiicient wetting of the fibers the lubricating compound must have a low surface tension so that when it is brought into contact with (Cl. 87-9) v the fibers it will not globulate but will immediately film the surface of the fibers. The low surface tension also imparts extreme penetrating qualities to the compound. This phenomenon is not usually observed whenmineral oils, fatty oils, their compounds or emulsions are applied to textile fibers. By using a lubricating compound of low surface tension, it is therefore not necessary to spray for long periods of time or to use large quantities of the lubricating media since the filming of the fibers is almost instantaneous.

We have found that when small quantities of a member of the lecithin group of compounds are compounded with a light petroleum hydrocarbon oil, the product displays the interesting quality of immediately, filming textile fibers with which it is brought into contact, without any globulation or localization of the compound.

The lecithins belong to the class of compounds having the general formula cmoR now on mo-P=o o-on,.cn,.y(onm.oa

the R and B being similar or dissimilar acid radicals such as those derived from stearic, palmitic, oleic, or other organic acids. It is believed that the presence of the lecithin compounds increases the fiber wetting power of the light petroleum hydrocarbon oil.

' Although the water solubility of the lecithin compounds aids in the removal of the wetting compcund from the fabric in the subsequent washing operation, to which fibers so treated are ordinarily subjected, it is usually present in such quantity that it is insuillcient to emulsify completely the large amount of mineral oil with which it is present. We have overcome this difficulty by incorporating with the wetting compound, as described, a water soluble soap usually to the amount of not more than 5%. Although it has been found that sodium naphthenate and triethanol amine oleate, are especially effective, any water soluble soap may be used and may include the soaps of sulphonic, naphthenic or fatty acids.

In preparing a composition which is especially suitable for spraying on'cotton fibers, the use of a relatively low viscosity oil is desirable. Any moderately well refined mineral oil meeting this requirement of viscosity may be used and may include petroleum products such as mineral seal oil, heavy kerosenes and light lubricating oils of a viscosity preferably less than about 100 seconds Saybolt at 100 F. It is not intended however that the use of oils of higher viscosity cut back with lower viscosity oils to the desired viscosity be precluded.

Herewith is given one embodiment of the practical application of the invention disclosed herein. The ingredients may be mixed in the indicated proportions:

Per cent Mineral seal oil, viscosity 45 seconds Saybolt 100 F. 94 Sodium naphthenate Lecithin 1 The viscosity of the resultant product was less than 55 seconds Saybolt at 100 F.

The method of combining the ingredients consists in warming the mineral oil to an elevated temperature, preferably not more than 100 F., and then gradually adding the sodium naphthenate with agitation to effect rapid solution of the sodium soap. The desired percentage or fractional percentage of lecithin may then be added.

A compound prepared in this manner is a clear solution which is stable at ordinary working temperatures.

Experience, however, has shown that lecithin may prove to be unstable when stored in iron containers in the presence of air at elevated temperatures and for long periods of time. To overcome this diiliculty, it may be desirable to .add anti-oxidants to such of the compound as may be stored for long periods. Anti-oxidants such as beta naphthol, hydroquinone, diphenylamine, and in fact any of the phenolic or substituted ammonia compounds which display antioxidant properties may be used with advantage.

-Only minute quantities are necessary to bring ly satisfactory both from the standpoint of its qualities as a cotton spraying oil and because of its stability during prolonged storage.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the invention, as hereinbefore set forth, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A cotton fiber spraying oil consisting essentially of a light lubricating oil having dissolved therein 5% or less of a water-soluble soap and 1% or less of lecithin, the amount of lecithin being less than the amount of water-soluble soap.

2. A composition of matter according to claim 1 in which the light lubricating oil has a viscosity less than about 100 seconds Saybolt Universal at 100 F.

3. A composition according to claim 1 in which the water-soluble soap consists of sodium naphthenate.

4. A composition according to claim 1 to which there has been added a small proportion of an anti-oxidant selected from the group consisting of beta naphthol, hydroquinone and diphenylamine for inhibiting the oxidation of the lecithin.

5. The method of preparing cotton fiber for the manipulations incidental to its fabrication into yarn which comprises incorporating therein a composition of matter consisting essentially of a light lubricating oil having dissolved therein 5% or less of a water-soluble soap, 1% or less of lecithin, the amount of lecithin being less than the amount of the water-soluble soap.

6. The method of preparing cotton fiber for the manipulations incidental to its fabrication into yarn which comprises incorporating therein a composition of -matter consisting essentially of a light lubricating oil having a viscosity less than about 100 seconds Saybolt Universal at 100 F., 5% or less of sodium naphthenate, 1% or less of lecithin, the amount of lecithin being less than the amount of sodium naphthenate.

JAMES G. DETWILER. THEODORE C. HEISIG. JOHN E. ROSNEIL. FRANK W. HALL. 

